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Research Claims Graphene Strongest Even with Defects

A recent study has suggested that graphene is strongest material in the world even when it is defected. The findings are contrary to the previous studies, which suggest that the graphene with defects is comparatively weaker than graphene in perfect lattice.

In the new research, it emerged that even when small crystalline grains are packed together rather than being created directly; it still retains its strength. It strength and many other properties have made it a very revolutionary and appealing material.

The material has ability to convert a single photon of light into multiple electrons and can absorb a very large spectrum of light. In addition, it also has unique optical properties.

Graphene is actually just a single atomic layer of carbon that is naturally designed as a honeycomb lattice. James Hone, a Professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia Engineering, said that their first Science paper in 2008 analyzed the intrinsic strength of graphene.

Professor Hone led the study along with Jeffrey Kysar, a Professor of mechanical engineering. "But defect-free, pristine graphene exists only in very small areas. Large-area sheets must contain many small grains connected at grain boundaries, and it was unclear how strong those grain boundaries were", he said.

Their second paper, the present one, discusses the strength of large-area graphene films grown using chemical vapor deposition (CVD).